God Is For Us

What then shall we say to these things?  If God is for us, who can be against us?

Romans 8:31

 

Sometimes, even cartoons can be harsh.  I once saw a “Peanuts” cartoon where Lucy says to Charlie Brown, “Sometimes I feel we are not communicating: You, Charlie Brown, are a foul ball in the line drive of life.  You’re often in the shadow of your own goal post.  You’re a miscue.  You’re 3 putts on the 18^th green.  You are a 7-10 split in the 10^th frame.  You have dropped a rod and reel in the lake of life.  You’re a missed free throw; You’re a shanked 9-iron; a called third strike; a bug on the windshield of life!  Do you understand?  Have I made myself clear, Charlie Brown!”

There may be times when we feel like Charlie Brown.  Our circumstances in life may cause us to ask, “Is God for us?”  I’ve heard people say that they truly believe that God is working against them.  They pray for certain things to happen, and, later, when it doesn’t, they think that God didn’t want them to have success.  It is that type of thinking that God’s Word dispels.  It has been that type of mentality that has kept churches stagnated and individuals from growing and maturing.  It’s that type of mentality that leads people to say things like: “Maybe it wasn’t meant for me to be married happily ever after.  Maybe I am always supposed to be sick or poor. Maybe God doesn’t have anything better planned for me.”  Because of past failures and disappointments, we become filled with doubts, anxieties and fears.       

But the Gospel may be summarized in four small words: God is for us!  God has given us this Good News to apply to our own lives and He has given us this Good News to share with a dying and hurting world: God is for us!  No matter who you are.  Regardless of what you have done.  In spite of where you are in your walk with Him.  You are not on the battlefield alone.  God has your back.  He is walking with you.  David once wrote, “God is our Refuge and Strength, a very present help in trouble.”  God is present in each of our troubling times.  Jesus Himself said, “I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”  Wherever you are, whatever your situation, and whoever you may be – God is with you and God is for you.

Satan is always looking to accuse, to pile on the guilt, to rub our circumstances in our faces to convince us that God has abandoned us.  Satan is quick to put people in our path that will tear us down, gossip about our weaknesses and our struggles; people who will remind us of our limitations and our boundaries – but satan doesn’t have an answer for the Cross.  There is NO condemnation for those who are in Christ.

Christ Jesus comes to our defense.  He provides for us.  As the Good Shepherd, He tells us that nothing will snatch us out of His hand.  As our Cornerstone and Foundation, He says build on Me, and WHEN the flooding rains come, AND THEY WILL COME, they will beat against you but you will remain standing.  As the Vine, He will bear fruit through His branches as they remain in Him.  The God who willingly gave His own Son for us while we were yet sinners, is more than willing and able to give us all THINGS.

God is for us – and because he is for us we have been justified.  Through the giving and shedding of Jesus’ blood on the cross, God sees us “just as if we had never sinned.”  That is what we have been given through the cross.  The victory of Christ is ours.  As Christians, we can place our confidence in the fact that no matter what we face in life we know – God is with us, and God is for us.

 

 

Unlimited Grace

And from His fullness we have all received, grace upon grace.  For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.

John 1:16-17

All you can eat buffets, unlimited cell-phone minutes, unlimited internet data usage, Olive Garden’s never-ending pasta bowl…we live in a society that loves things that are boundless and inexhaustible.  We don’t like to have limits put on us.

The first chapter of John gives us great reasons to rejoice.  The greatest unlimited thing we have to celebrate is the grace of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.  Martin Luther writes, “Jesus is an interminable well, the chief source of all grace, truth, righteousness, wisdom, and life, without limit, measure, or end.”

We give thanks to God that the grace of Christ is without end.  Consider the humbling and comforting reality of the gifts that God gives us.  Daily we fail to live up the righteous standard of God’s Law.  The Law of God calls us to repent as we consider our sins in its light, and it leads us to Christ, who is the giver of all grace and the source of all truth.  There is no greater joy than the joy found in reflecting upon the measureless and endless grace that Christ gives us!

Despite our numerous failings – God is faithful to us.  Through Christ we receive unlimited grace.  His grace never runs out!  Christ has taken our sin and the eternal effects of that sin and He has in return given us the free gift of grace – unlimited grace!

Forgiveness is our Policy

“Peter came up and said to Jesus, “Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him?  As many as seven times?”  Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy times seven.”  Matthew 18:21-22

I once saw a sign hanging in a bank that said, “To err is human; to forgive is not our policy.”  For many of us, forgiveness is not our policy.  Instead we tend to hold grudges that can sometimes even last for years.  It is not easy to forgive and forget.  Jesus tells us that tells us that forgiveness should be our policy.  In Matthew chapter 18 Jesus tells Peter to forgive not just seven times, but seventy times seven.  This section of God's Word tells us a great deal about forgiveness.

Peter’s suggestion of forgiving someone who sinned against him seven times is commendable.  The rabbis back then taught that you had to forgive someone three times and then you could retaliate.  The fourth time you could do whatever you liked.  In fact, they mistakenly taught that God only forgives three times.  Peter doubled that and added one more for good measure, probably thinking it would impress Jesus. 

Jesus answer must have surprised Peter, not seven times, but seventy times seven times.  That’s 490 times.  Now, 490 is not an exact number of times that we are to forgive someone.  We do not need to keep track of how many times we have forgiven someone.  Jesus does not mean for us to actually go out and forgive people 490 times.  Instead, seventy times seven means that there is no limit to the number of times we are to forgive someone.  Actually, if you were to count, by the time you reach 490, you would be in the habit of continual and unlimited forgiveness.  That is exactly the point that Jesus is making for us today; you don’t keep score when it comes to forgiveness.  He wants us to be in the habit of forgiving others without limits.

Forgiveness is very difficult because it calls for a renewed personal relationship where things are as though nothing happened between the people involved.  We hold grudges all the time, sometimes it takes us years before we are able to forgive someone who has hurt us.  Another reason why it is hard for us to forgive others is that we have a hard time seeing the big picture.  All we see and focus on is how we have been hurt and the immediate consequences of that.  We don’t see the main picture.  We don’t see how something that we are upset and angry with someone about now won’t really mean anything in the future.

As Christians we need to see the example of forgiveness that Jesus has given to us.  C.S. Lewis once said, “To be a Christian means to forgive the inexcusable, because God has forgiven the inexcusable in you.”  Through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, God has completely forgiven the inexcusable in us.  Colossians 3:13 says, “Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you have against one another.  Forgive as the Lord forgave you.”  Because of the forgiveness that we all have received we can tolerate those who irritate us, and we can forgive our friends and family members when they do wrong against us.

It is in the cross that God wants to be known and where He reveals His forgiveness and Himself for our good.  Jesus went to the cross for all of our sins.  He died for the sins that we still hold grudges about today, yet he forgives us of those sins through his death and resurrection.  From the cross Jesus even showed us true forgiveness when he prayed for God to forgive the sins of those who mocked him and crucified him because they did not know what they are doing.

Our response to God’s great gift to us through the cross is one of praise, repentance, and forgiveness.  Because Christ paid the ultimate price to forgive our sins, our response to others should be one of continual forgiveness.

Forgive continually; don’t hold on to those grudges you have been holding onto for years.  Forgive them and forget them.  Don’t let disputes between friends and family members go on without forgiving the hurtful things being said and done.  Instead of holding on to grudges, hold on to the example of continual forgiveness that Christ showed us on the cross.  Hold on to the promises that we have that God is always there with us, and that he has a perfect plan for our lives that is far better than we can ever imagine.

It’s often difficult to forgive, yet the remarkable thing about Jesus is that he forgives us even for the times we don’t perfectly forgive others. This forgiveness in turn gives us a remarkable strength to forgive others. God gives you the strength and ability to forgive. Do you need help forgiving? Jesus gives us the help we need to get into the habit of continual forgiveness.

No matter what kind of sin someone has done to you, God calls us to forgive because we have been forgiven.  We have been forgiven by a God who holds no record of our many sins, but instead loves us unconditionally.  Psalm 103:11-12 says, “For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us.” 

God delights to love us and to forgive us, and wants us to have that same attitude towards others.  We have been forgiven in order to forgive one another.  As forgiven brothers and sisters in Christ, let’s make it our policy to forgive continually in the name of our forgiving Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ!

 

 

Holy Cross Day

But far be it from me to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.  From now let no one cause me trouble, for I bear on my body the marks of Jesus.

Galatians 6:14,17

Tomorrow marks the church’s annual observance of Holy Cross Day. This celebration is one of the earliest annual celebrations of the church. Holy Cross Day traditionally commemorated the discovery of the original cross of Jesus on September 14, AD 320 in Jerusalem. The cross was said to be found by Helena, mother of Roman Emperor Constantine the Great. It was Constantine who made this festival day official in AD 335.

While we celebrate and commemorate the fact that Helena may have found the original cross of Jesus – we also celebrate the fact that the cross of Christ can be found elsewhere. Where do we find the cross of Christ? Certainly we find the cross in church. We find the cross on many pieces of jewelry and sometimes even on the clothes we wear.

As a matter of fact, the cross can be found anywhere you go because in Baptism you were marked with the cross of Christ! In Baptism the sign of the cross is marked both upon your heart and your forehead to mark you as God’s child in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. While we don’t physically see those marks – by faith we know they are there. God has marked us as His own. Through the cross of Christ – God has made us His for all eternity.

With that in mind, it is no wonder that Paul speaks of boasting only in the cross of Christ. Surely we can boast only in the cross – for only the cross has the power to forgive sins, and only the cross has defeated sin, death, and the power of the devil.

May every cross we see be a reminder of the cross that was marked upon us – making us children of God and heirs with Christ to the riches of heaven for all eternity!

Never Forget - God is with us!

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?  Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, of famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword?  As it is written, “For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.”  No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who love us.  Romans 8:35-37

Today is Patriot Day and marks the thirteenth anniversary of the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001.  Our thoughts go back to that day as we remember the tragic events that unfolded.  Do you remember where you were that day?  Do you remember the fears that day brought?  No one knew what was going to happen next.  We couldn’t believe what we were seeing on the television screens our eyes were glued to.  It seemed unreal – but the pain, suffering, and fear of that day were certainly real.  It is a day that will never be forgotten.

Do not fear…fear not…be not afraid.  Despite being worded in slightly different ways, the Bible makes the point clear – do not fear!  In fact, the Bible tells us not to fear 365 times – one time for every day of the year!  Why does the Bible remind us so often not to fear?  Because we need to be reminded - we have the promise that the love of Christ is always with us!

Fear was the main objective of the terrorist attacks on 9/11.  By striking fear into the hearts of Americans, the terrorists were hoping to create mass chaos and panic.  Christians had the best response to the horrors of 9/11.  Instead of asking the popular question that arose in many people’s hearts, “Where was God on 9/11?” – Christians went to God in prayer knowing that NOTHING, not even the terrorist attacks, could separate us from the love of Christ!

The same is true now on the thirteenth anniversary of 9/11.  As Christians we continue to go to the Lord in prayer asking Him to keep our military personnel safe as they fight to keep us safe from the threats of terror, asking Him to comfort the families of those who lost their lives that terrible day, and asking God to continue blessing this great Nation according to His good and gracious will!

What a great promise we have from God – absolutely nothing can separate us from the love of Christ!  Absolutely nothing can separate us from the forgiveness, life, and salvation that Christ won for us through the cross and the empty tomb!

50/20 Vision

How good is your vision?  We all have different levels of vision.  Some of us are near sighted or far sighted, some need glasses or contacts, some need vision surgery, and some have naturally perfect vision.  Good vision is called 20/20 vision.  Some even have “eagle eyes” with 20/10 vision.  In the Old Testament account of Joseph, we see the best vision.   This vision is a vision of what God is doing for us in our lives.  This vision is seeing how God works to turn our sinful intentions and works them out for good through the forgiveness of sins.  This vision, shown to us in Genesis 50:20, is what I like to call 50/20 vision.

In our sinfulness it is hard for us to have this kind of 50/20 vision.  In our sinfulness we tend to focus only on the bad things that are happening to us right now.  We focus on things like feuds with family and friends, sickness and disease, loss of jobs, lack of money, the challenges of our economy, the pressure of politics, and hurtful things that people around us have said or done.  We also have sinful and selfish intentions of our own.

Joseph’s brothers had their own sinful intentions as well.  They intended for Joseph to lead a life of slavery far away from them and eventually die.  All this they did because they were jealous of their brother.  In the midst of bad times in our lives we sinfully tend to doubt the presence of God in our lives.  During these times, we fail see how God is actually working for the good in our lives at all times.  This is the sinful vision that we all have as we stand before God and His perfect vision.

It would have been very easy for Joseph to have his brothers put to death if he had held a grudge against them for selling him into slavery.  Instead Joseph saw the big picture.  Joseph loved his brothers despite everything they had done.  Joseph had already forgiven his brothers without question because he could see the big picture.  Joseph saw how God had worked through his brothers sinful intentions and was now saving many lives through him.  This is the big picture, that because of sin, it is hard for us to see.

God worked through all the terrible experiences that Joseph endured and through them saved many lives.  God has a grand vision over everything that takes place and, while not willing sin or evil, He is capable of directing everything to that which accomplishes His purpose.  People may just say that Joseph was a really lucky guy.  The truth is there is no such thing as luck.  What there is, is “providence”.  Which is the care and guidance of God over his creation.  We can see this providence in our own lives, but it takes “50/20 vision”.  When we look back at our lives we can see how God has blessed us in many ways.  Through 50/20 vision we are more able to discern the loving hand of the Lord in that which has happened to us in the past.  Augustine described it in this way:  “When you first consider your life, it looks like nothing but a bunch of chicken tracks in the mud of a barnyard, going this way and that.  But through the eyes of faith, we begin to discern pattern, meaning, direction.  Providence.”

God wants us to know that he wants what is best for our lives.  It is in the cross that God wants to be known and where He reveals His forgiveness and Himself for our good.  Jesus went to the cross for all of our sins.  He died for the sins that we still hold grudges about today, yet he forgives us of those sins through his death and resurrection.  From the cross Jesus even shows us true forgiveness when he prays for God to forgive the sins of those mocking him and crucifying him because they do not know what they are doing.

Another part of 50/20 vision is looking through the cross and realizing that we can forgive others because God will work through the sinful things in our lives and turn them into good according to his good and gracious will.  Our response to God’s great gift to us through the cross is one of praise, repentance, and forgiveness.  Because Christ paid the ultimate price to forgive our sins, our response to others should be one of continual forgiveness.  As Jesus says in Matthew 18:35, “This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart.”    Forgive continually; don’t hold on to those grudges you have been holding onto for years.  Forgive them and forget them.  Don’t let disputes between friends and family members go on without forgiving the hurtful things being said and done.  Instead of holding on to grudges, hold on to the example of continual forgiveness that Christ showed us on the cross.  Hold on to the promises that we have that God is always there with us, and that he has a perfect plan for our lives that is far better than we can ever imagine.

When we forgive others as Jesus instructs us to do in His Word, we can then see the big picture.  It is then that we can see the “50/20 vision” that we see in Genesis 50:20.  It is then that we can see how God has even worked through our sinful intensions and overcome them to show us his good and perfect will.

So how is your vision?  I pray that you may have the vision of Joseph, the 50/20 vision that allows us to see the work of Christ in every part of our lives.  The vision to see that even through hard times and struggles God is completing his good and perfect will in our lives.  The vision to see through the hurtful things that others say and do to us and to forgive them knowing that we have been forgiven by Christ.  Now that's good vision!